ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsFforestall
ISEE/SSAThard
forestall
Meaning: to prevent something by taking action in advance
forestall in a sentence
How forestall is used in real sentences:
Officials released water from the reservoir to forestall flooding.
A timely apology forestalled a bitter dispute between the two neighbors.
“Venn copied the relevant pages at night to forestall their disappearance once officials learned of her inquiry.”
— from the passage The Season of Reckoning
Synonyms for forestall
Other words for forestall — prevent, preempt and avert — carry the same meaning.
- prevent
- preempt
- avert
Antonyms of forestall
Words that mean the opposite of forestall:
Where it comes from
From Old English foresteall, meaning 'an ambush or interception.'
Word parts
- fore — before; in front
forestall: fore- (before) + stall (standing place)
Memory hook
FORE-STALL means 'stall beforehand': act early to stop something.